Mid Life/wife crisis Question

[G_E_E]

What ever you decide to do, I would definitely still keep the pop up. There may be a trip where you don't need all the amenities of a big trailer. Plus you don't have to worry so much about road conditions or camping spots big enough to accommodate a large trailer.

[Snapshot]

I like the Dodge Power Wagons, except for that big ugly Power Wagon logo. especially on the new models.

[AzDiamondHeat]

What ever you decide to do, I would definitely still keep the pop up. There may be a trip where you don't need all the amenities of a big trailer. Plus you don't have to worry so much about road conditions or camping spots big enough to accommodate a large trailer.

 

Great advice. I have my jumping jack as a hunting trailer or overnight trailer when I don;t want to or can;t pull the big trailer.

[ThomC]

New be viewer made a post about ford chev dodge wife dog camper tent and all you guys shot up 6 pages of BS. And he is long gone not interested or listening. LOL

[firstcoueswas80]

New be viewer made a post about ford chev dodge wife dog camper tent and all you guys shot up 6 pages of BS. And he is long gone not interested or listening. LOL

Are you an idiot? He's got 600+ posts, and has been a member since 2010.

[Snapshot]

New be viewer made a post about ford chev dodge wife dog camper tent and all you guys shot up 6 pages of BS. And he is long gone not interested or listening. LOL

Scroll down a few topics. There is one with 33 pages of B.S

[trphyhntr]

2018 and people still responding to thomc shake my head.

[singleshot]

Keep in mind gents , and I have a diesel and a 31 foot 5th pulling a trailer @ 80 is not suggested. Ask the tires guys the recommended speed on these trailer tires. Yes it’s tempting cause the trucks will do it , but not recommended.

 

 

 

 

Keep in mind gents , and I have a diesel and a 31 foot 5th pulling a trailer @ 80 is not suggested. Ask the tires guys the recommended speed on these trailer tires. Yes it’s tempting cause the trucks will do it , but not recommended.

ok mom.

Lol I got your mom , let me know next time you’re sitting in a four hour traffic delay because of these idiots .Carry on and pull as fast as you’d like friend.

 

When I said average 17 at 80 when empty I meant truck alone. Not pulling anything. My trailer is a 26 footer, quad trailer is 12. It's not for every hunt or camping trip. Sure is nice on the extended ones though.

[300RUM]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What kind of maintenance are you doing that is costing you guys so much money?

I would say its more the upfront costs and the fixes that kill you then the maintenance. Yes oil changes are more expensive but thats not huge. I buy a new F150 eco boost max tow every two years. I put 99500 miles on them and then trade. The last one I got was $35200 off the lot. A comparable diesel woulda been just shy of $50,000. Thats almost $15,000 difference. If I trade every two years thats $7500 a year. I got ostracized on here for saying I spend $2000 a year on out of state tag applications as being a rich guy, I would say that anyone who owns a diesel spends far far more then that just to listen to it hum. Dont get me wrong there are people out there who truly need them, but I would say 99% if diesel owners dont. I pull probably 10,000 miles a year with mine. I farm part time so its anythkng from combine headers to seed wagons (15,000#) to my camper, but in my opinion I still dont pull enough to justify an extra $7500/yr in cost. If you break something on a diesel its gonna be $5-10k for literally anything in them. I see these guys talking about this motor or that and the say 6.4L is great you just have to do this delete and that bulletproofing. If Im gonna spend $50k for a pickup I better not have to take it to some aftermarket dude with a flat brim hat to spend another $10k to make it work. Thats my 2 cents on diesel!!! As my uncle (a lifetime mechanic) used to say. The three Ts of diesel: Trucks Tractors and Trains! (Dont get me started on pickup vs truck, we are referring to pickups here. Trucks have more then two axles.

you need 5 gasser oil changes by the time you need 1 diesel oil change. diesels especially 4x4 hold their value better than any gas truck. f150 has the worst resale value.

I change the oil every 5K on my diesel, 15qts. That is the factory recommendation, sure you can go longer but to do so you should add a bypass filter and do a UOA to see whats happening to the viscoscity, copper buildup etc.

a 2014 cummins factory recommendation is 15k miles.

Dang that's a loooong time. Even if that's what the factory says, I would never wait that long to change my oil in any vehicle.

That Cummins is a commercial engine and is used in some small semi tractors. The engines used in the larger tractors can have a suggested oil change interval of 25,000 to 30,000. Depending on how the truck is used some fleets will push it over 50,000 miles.

[wildwoody]

Bla bla bla, diesel smells.

[bigorange]

Smells nice...

[Delw]

So.... turn 40 in july, but these ideas are all from my lady... so technically it's not my mid life crisis, but rather my mid- wife crisis. (sorry about the long winded story)

 

I skrimped and saved and back in the day I bought a used pop up from my buddy. A classic 1979 coleman. Now it needs a few things here and there, not much but all we ever really do is have a soft place to sleep and a clean place to get dressed. Still cook outside and except for one javelin trip, the camper has never been a refuge during trips.

 

Then I met a girl. She's keeping ,me around, been 4 years. We bought a house together, and I just got a check from selling mine... which has opened up a can of worms. She isn't a fan of my old vintage camper, takes a bit to set up and its hard to pack (without setting up, and unpack). I toyed with the idea of buying a New-to-me pop-up. Been keeping an eye out, missed a few deals because we were waiting to sell my house but oh well. The understanding was, sell my house, get a new camper.

 

Turkey season came, one more set up of the ol coleman. She said, "what about a hard side". Well, trying to stay mobile with the smaller the better, and the fact that I have a half ton (or in most circumstances, my brother pulls it with his jeep), I want a small camper.

 

Independent thinker.... she started showing me pictures of campers she found. So I fired back pictures of ones I thought would be a compromise. Finally she said "there's a rv show at UoPS, mom n dad are wanting to go, we can go too just to get ideas; then well look for something similar used." (Her dad is getting ready to retire, they want an apartment on wheels for traveling to see family and a bucket list). I thought the show didn't have anything all that interesting. She told me I was wrong, she found a camper that she liked 30' bunk house blah blah blah... well fully loaded, its hitting the limits of what my truck can pull. the next day I showed her pictures of ultra lights that I liked, and again, thought it was a compromise. Wrong again...I started the debate with "my truck cant handle that, my truck can pull these 3 trailers just fine.".... wrong.... she fired back, "you need a new truck then"., whipped out her phone to show me prices and had budgets and spread sheets.... (yeah, don't try to argue numbers with an accountant). I added the clause of... well depending on which "camper" you want us to get, im fixing up the pop up so I can actually go hunting still.

 

SO finally the guy part of this... I want another dodge, first off.

-What do I get?

-Gas or diesel? (a diesel will be better for pulling, but in general use stand point)

-years to stay away from? (I know they had a transmission issue for while)

- Power wagon? (5.7 or 6.4?)

-Mpg?

 

So the background is, I really like the power wagon, but that might be because its awesome. Our budget is around $30k. a 3/4 ton will give us the capacities to pull the camper, but the cost of general upkeep on a diesel first of the practicality of towing a trailer a few times a year ? We probably found 12 trucks that are worth looking at off cyber scouting.

we'll start with the easy one 1st., upkeep on a diesel

mine has 200k on it its a 2005 hd2500. heres my upkeep that I can remember.

a few oil and tranny oil changes

batteries every 2-3 years 2 at a time.

couple of windshields

bunch of tires

1 fuel pump housing ended up cracking

1 water pump .

3 or 4 hoses

3 fan belts

one master cylinder/power booster

one power steering pump

one altenator

one complete new front end as it just wore out

a dozen head light bulbs in 2 years once I went factory I never have a problem again

1 ac controller

4 inside ac adjustment motors. NEVER BUY ANYTHING BUT FACTORY cause there all junk, yeah there cheaper by 1/2 but its a pain to change them.

2 power window motors for each door again ONLY BUY FACTORY and you wont replace them again.

Thats it , that I can remember

nothing was diesel related but then again its because its a chevy and not a Dodge or ford

Gas or diesel doesnt make any differnce, if your worried about fuel cost then you dont need to be pulling a trailer and should be sleeping in a sleeping bag on a tarp.

but personally I would get a diesel just because going up a hill is embarrassing when those little shoebox cars with 2 fat people are in them( why the heck to the biggest people always buy the smallest cars? I never understood that/ but anyway.

 

so now lets get to the meat of the post. you and your wife.

you been married for 4 years , you just turned 40 , then sold your house hmmmmmmm

she sounds like a smart girl for wanting a REAL camper not some mobile tent. a tent/ popup trailer is a pain in the butt for no comfort if it was you would see more around. its basically for susans / yuppies and liberals who pretend to go camping.

a sleeping bag on a tarp, maybe a cot when you get older and a tent or tarp over you for the rain is acceptable. but a freaking pop-up. you either go with sleeping bag or a trailer or 5th wheel.

a pop-up/tent trailer is kinda like half and half, like lets say the way A bisexual is between being heterosexual or just plain GAY.

[ThomC]

 

New be viewer made a post about ford chev dodge wife dog camper tent and all you guys shot up 6 pages of BS. And he is long gone not interested or listening. LOL

Are you an idiot? He's got 600+ posts, and has been a member since 2010.

 

Probably am an idiot for responding to a name caller but I thought that his name was nbviewer. It is mbviewer.

 

 

2018 and people still responding to thomc shake my head.

 

That head shake is getting worse, you had better get it checked out. Oh great white topyhntr and 7,963 poster poser.

[lancetkenyon]

 

I have not reread all.of this since my last.post.....but....

For the guys saying "dump the wife"....you guys would bitch about getting hanged with a new rope! Wife wants to buy him a new truck and trailer for comfortable hunting? And you want to ditch her? WTF is there to complain about???? She is a keeper in my book. Come back from hunting to a hot shower, hot meal, comfortable bed, and maybe a little lovin'? Win/win situation.

Arizona has a divorce rate of almost 50%. A 50/50 chance that some here will meet that fate. Say goodbye to the camper trailer.

Standing in front of a Judge, and being ordered to sell, or give 50% of your assets away, including gun collections, in which she never invested a dime in.

Yeah....I got hung by a brand new rope, and I will bitch about it for a long time. Personally, I will never put myself in a position of losing anything to a woman again.

Nothing against you, but this is one of the saddest posts I have seen.

 

Sorry you got a bad one.

 

I have been with my wife for 31 years, and can't even imagine life without her.

[Snapshot]

 

 

I have not reread all.of this since my last.post.....but....

For the guys saying "dump the wife"....you guys would bitch about getting hanged with a new rope! Wife wants to buy him a new truck and trailer for comfortable hunting? And you want to ditch her? WTF is there to complain about???? She is a keeper in my book. Come back from hunting to a hot shower, hot meal, comfortable bed, and maybe a little lovin'? Win/win situation.

Arizona has a divorce rate of almost 50%. A 50/50 chance that some here will meet that fate. Say goodbye to the camper trailer.

Standing in front of a Judge, and being ordered to sell, or give 50% of your assets away, including gun collections, in which she never invested a dime in.

Yeah....I got hung by a brand new rope, and I will bitch about it for a long time. Personally, I will never put myself in a position of losing anything to a woman again.

Nothing against you, but this is one of the saddest posts I have seen.

Sorry you got a bad one.

I have been with my wife for 31 years, and can't even imagine life without her.

I'm jaded.